Ceiling fans are not only energy savers but also provide a more pleasant environment in domestic, commercial, and industrial applications. In the summer, during hot weather, ceiling fans make air conditioners more efficient by circulating cool air. During cold weather, the fan circulates warm air which would otherwise be trapped near the ceiling. During marginal air-conditioning weather, the fan alone can be used to provide relief from the heat, and the fan, which has a relatively small motor, will operate at a fraction of the cost of an air-conditioning unit.
Electrical boxes can be installed in ceilings to accommodate the mounting of various fixtures that include the ceiling fan, a lightweight lighting fixture and even a relatively heavy lighting fixture. The mounting of the lightweight lighting fixture is typically accommodated by the use of a strap that is connected, by means of mounting screws, to an electric box which is nailed or otherwise fastened to structural members above the ceiling. The lightweight lighting fixture typically comprises a fixture ceiling plate connected to the strap of the electrical box, a small pipe acting as a conduit for electrical wires, and one or more sockets each for an incandescent lamp.
The mounting of the relatively heavy fixture is typically accomplished by the use of a hanging bar that passes through the electrical box in the ceiling and to which is attached a so-called "nipple" having legs that encircle the hanging bar. The heavy light fixture also typically has a so-called "hickey" to which is attached a fixture ceiling plate that carries along with it one or more sockets for incandescent lamps and related conduits for associated electrical wires. The hickey is threadingly connected to the nipple so that the relatively heavy light fixture is directly supported by the hanging bar. The mounting of the ceiling fan is typically accomplished by the use of a 2.times.4 block, which is connected between floor joists or rafters above the ceiling and to which the electrical box is attached.
Of the different ceiling mounting arrangements, undoubtedly the lightweight lighting fixture that houses the incandescent lamp is the most popular and is most commonly found in domestic, commercial, and industrial establishments. Although lightweight lighting fixtures have severe limitations regarding their weight bearing strengths, it would be very desirable to place a ceiling fan into these lightweight fixtures and to do so without retrofitting or structurally modifying the ceiling mounting arrangements in any manner to accommodate the ceiling fans. If possible, the incandescent socket would provide both the mechanical and electrical connections for the ceiling fan. If such a placement could be provided, the benefits of a ceiling fan could be immediately realized without suffering the disadvantages of structurally modifying the ceiling's mounting.